Residents of Indoesia's Tagulandang are in despair after Mount Ruang volcano erupted on Tuesday and left the island uninhabitable.
The Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) has also warned of a potential tsunami triggered by volcanic material collapsing into the ocean.
Video shared by Indonesia's disaster agency showed lightning flashing above Ruang's crater when it erupted on Tuesday.
Reuters witnessed collapsing roofs on most houses on Tagulandang island, with roads and building debris blanketed in a thick layer of volcanic ash.
Many are awaiting evacuation to Manado, the capital of North Sulawesi province in the north-central region of the sprawling Indonesian archipelago.
Indonesia's Disaster Agency (BNPB) said that, as of Thursday afternoon, 3,364 people had been evacuated from Tagulandang island, with more than 5,000 inhabitants remaining.
BNPB head Suharyanto expects the remaining residents to be evacuated within the next three days.
A state of emergency, effective until May 14, has been declared by local government to facilitate aid access though authorities said the airport at Manado will remain closed until Friday.
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